Plate-moving mechanism for presses, punches, and shears



H. RUFF. PLATE movme MECHANISM FOR PRESSES, PUNCHES, AND SHEARS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. l9l8.

L38%,92 Patented July 12, 1921.

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E ii k, 30 v/ 26 g 9 21 25 4 mm 4 1 6 20 13 1 0 1 17 momvzrs H. RUFF. PLATE MOVING MECHANISM FOR PRESSES, PUNCHIES, AND SHEARS.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. l9l8- Patented July 12, 1921..

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I 7 Arron/vars UNHTEZE HERBERT RUFF, OF PHILADELPHIA, FENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF GATE-HALF T0 LEON G. BUCKWALTER, 0F EIERCEIAITTVILLE, NEV JERSEY.

?LATE-MOVI1\TG MECHANISM FOR PRESSES, EUNCI-IES, AND SHEARS.

Application filed July 12, 1918.

T 0 aZZ w/wm it may concern.

Be it known that I, HERBERT RUFF, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and use iul Plate-Moving Mechanism for Presses, Punches, and Shears, of which the following is a specification.

In the handling of plates of sheet metal, such as are commonly used in shipbuilding, boiler plants and the like, in respect to the large power punches, shears presses em ployed, it is well known to those skilled in the art that these plates are frequently extensive in area and are heavy and unwieldy to manipulate with respect to the press, punch, shear or the like, frequently requiring the assistance of-several laborers in addition to the operative of the punch or press, in order to properly position them with respect to the punch shear or other implement.

It has heretofore been the practice to manipulate these plates and position them with respect to the punching, pressing or shearing implement either through the aid of several laborers or by a type of machine which takes up considerable space, is some what cumbersome and whose first cost is greatly in excess of my present invention, which is designed to obviate the foregoing disadvantages and consists in its broad aspects of a continuously power driven plate moving mechanism for moving plate in any desired direction in a horizontal plane with respect to power or hydraulic presses, punches, shears or the like.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a novel plate actuating or joggling wheel which is located below and normally out of contact with the plate to be shifted, said wheel having is periphery roughened or serrated and being driven continuously or in unison from the power shaft of the punch, press, shear or the like, and being adapted at the will of the operator to be raised into contact with the under surface of the plate so as to propel or actuate the latter horizontally in the desired direction, suitable means being provided for lowering and changing the vertical line of rotation of said actuating wheel so that the plate can be actuated in any desired lateral direction, forward, back, sidewise or diagonal, according to requirements.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 244,659.

To the above ends my invention consists of a novel construction of a hardened, peripherally notched or serrated plate actuating wheel revolving in unison with the source of power of the punch, press or shear, in conjunction with manually operated means under the control of the operator for raising and lor-sering and changing the line of rotation of said wheel with respect to the plate, according to requirements.

My invention further consists of novel plate moving mechanism which is operatively connected with the power shaft so as to be actuated simultaneously or in unison therewith and which is adapted to be manually manipulated in order to cause the plate to travel in the desired direction.

it further consists of novel means for bringing the plate moving mechanism into and out of operative position.

Other novel features of construction and advantage will hereinafter more clearly appear in the detailed description of my irvention.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, l have shown in the accompanying drawings a typical embodiment of it which in. practice will give satisfactory and reliable results. It is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is typical only and that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention not limited to the precise arrangement and or; izatien of these instrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a novel power plate moving mechanism, embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a vertical section, partly in elevation, of the construction seen in F 1, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of certain parts seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of my novel plate moving mechanism.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a power press or punch of any desired or conventional type, which is provided with a power shaft having a pulley 3 or equivalent dev1 ce, 1n order to adapt it to be connected wlth any desired source of power. The power or main driving shaft 2 has fixed thereon a bevel or other gear at which meshes with a bevel or other gear 5 at the upper end of a sectional shat't G, the sections of which are connected by means of a universal point 7. The lower portion of the shaft (3 passes through a slot 8 in the front wallet the power punch, and at its outer end, it is provided with a bevel or other gear 9, which meshes with the compound gear 10 loosely mounted on the reduced portion 11 of a shalt 12,-whioh latter is vertically reciprocabie in a hearing or bracket 13, which may be secured to the frame or housing otthe power punch, press, shear or the like.

The-shaft 12 at its lower end is provided with a terminal head or flange lei, which rests upon a cam orits equivalent movably carried by the lower portion oi? the bracket 13. The cam has eccentrically connected to it a rod or link 16, which is pivotally connected to a hand lever 17, said hand lever being fulcrumedat 18 to a handle, arm or lever '20, a spring 19 being interposed between the lev r l? and arm 20, as will be understood from Jig. 2.

The lever 20 is fulcrumed at 21 to the upper portion of the bracket 13 and is provided at its lower end with a rack or segment 22, which meshes with a pinion 28 fixed on the lower portion of the vertical shaft 12. The compound 10 is provided with an upper bevel i bevel gear 25 which is fixed to a side of the plate actuating wheel 26, the peripher which is notched or serrated. This 26 is loosely mounted on a stud or later-an extending. shaft 27., c2 rried by the upper end of the shaft 12. in order to inaii ain the gear 10 in proper position, l provide a bracket 28, which rests on the ln'acket and in which the reduced. portion 11 ii the shaft 12 has a bearing.

The bracket no also has a hearing; or bushing); 29 through which passes the outer end of the shatt 6.

3i) designates the punch block above or upon which the plate 3.1 is to be positioned so that the punch will enter the plate 31 at the proper point. r

The operation of my novel power plate joggling mechanism for power punches will now be'readily apparent to those skilled in this art, and is as tollows: lhe parts normally appear as seen in Fig. Assuming that the plate 31 has been moved beneath the punch and is resting on the punch block 30, the operator actuates thehandle or lever 20 laterally, so as to rotat the shaft'l2 and position the plate actuating: wheel 26 in the direction inwhich it is desired to move the plate 31. The operator then operates the handle 1'7 to rotate the cam 15 and raise the shaft 12 until the roughenedperiphery of the plate actuating wheel 26 engages the e'ear'tace 2a which meshes with a- \7 7 bottom of the plate 31 to be joggled or shifted, and as said plate actuating wheel 26 is in continuous rotation, the plate '31 will be moved or actuated unt l the operator releases the hand lever 17, whereupon thesh'aitt 12 will move downwardly and the wheel 26 will drop out of contact with the plate.

In Fig. 2, l have illustrated in dotted lines the various positions which. the plate jogg'linp' wheel 26 may assume and where'l rom it will be evident that by the proper adjustmont of the lever 20 the axial position of the vertical shaft 11 and fits adjuncts can be varied at will and the plateSl can be moved horizontally in any desired direction.

The gear ratio between the quadrant rack or segment 22 at the end o't the hand lever 20'and the pinion 23, may be of any desired ratio, but preferably in a ratio oi about four to one. v i

It will be apparent that the plate 'moving or joggling mechanism constructed in M;- cordance with my present invention is capable of being readily attached to existing power punches, presses or shears of the type now in use, without any change or dismantling of the operating mechanism of the punch itself.

It will be understood "from the foregoing tha the plate actuating wheel 26'is freely rotatable about the stub shaft 2. and-th the vertical shaft 12 can be axially positioned at the will of the operator, according to 'equirements.

1.), as will be understood from Fig. 2. When, however, the cam 15 is moved from the position seen in Figgi2 to the position will be apparent from the foregoing seen in Fig. l, the shaft and its adjuncts will be raised as has already been explained and the construction of the teeth-of tie upper bevel gear 2% is such that said teeth will be in contact with the bevel gear teeth '25 on the side of the wheel 26 when saidwneel is raised or lowered.

1 am the first in the art to employ' a con 'stantly rotating plate actuating; wheel lo cated below the plate to be je led or posif b2: tioned, of the character hereinbe'l'ore described, and I am also the first in the art to employ a device of: this general character coupled with the driving mechanism of the machine to which it is coupled in such a way that it rotates continuously in unison with the machine and my claims to these featuresare to be interpreted with the scope accorded to invei tions of this character.

will now be apparent that l have devisel a new and useful construction of a plate mechanism for presses, punches anu shears which embodies the teact ad antarje eninncrated as desirable b in the statement of the invention and the description, and while i have, in the instance, shown and described a prec tent thereof which will be rouno. in practice to give satisfactory and re liable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in vario', particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or s criticing an;' of its advantages.

llavin thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Lette s Patent, is

In a device 0 the character stated, the cmnbination driving mechanism of a punch, press or shear, a constantly rotating, freely revoluble plate-joggling wheel operatively connected with. said driving mechanism, means to bring said plate actuating rvheel into contact with a plate to be moved, and means to position said plate actuating wheel about a vertical axis. 7

2. .ln a device of the character stated, a punch, press or shear, a freely revoluble plate wheel located below and normally out of contact with the plate to be moved, manually operated means for raising and lowering said wheel, and means for roc nng said wheel simultaneously and in unison in the actuation oi? said punch, press or shear with respect to which the plate is actuated.

I a device of the character stated, the combination with punching, pressing or shearing mechanism and its driving shaft, of a shaft driven thereby, a plate joggling wheel mounted to revolve in a substantially vertical plane and to be continuously driven by said driven shaft, means to axially position said wheel in a horizontal plane, and means to raise and lower said wheel into and out of operative position.

ln a device of the character stated. the combination with a punch, press or shear and its driving means, or" a gear driven by said driving means, a compound gear meshing with said driven gear, a vertical shaft on which said compound gear is loosely mounted, a plate ioggling wheel operatively connected with compound gear so as to be continuously driven by it, means to axially position said vertical shaft, and means to eliect the raising and lowering of said v rtical shaft and feed wheel.

0. In a device of the character stated, the

combination with a punch, press, shear 0r li re machine of a peripherally notched or serrated plate joggling wheel, located normally below and out of contact with the plate to be actuated, means for rotating said wheel in unison with the operation of said machine, and means for elevating said wheel into contact with the under surface of the plate to be moved.

6. In a device of the character stated, the combination with a punch, press, shear or like machine of a hardened, peripheral, notched or serrated wheel located normally below and out of contact with the plate to be moved, means for rotating said wheel in unison with the operation of said machine, means for elevating said wheel into contact with the under surface of the plate to be moved, and means for varying the direction rotation oi said wheel.

7. he combination with a punch, press, smear or like machine 01" a suitable framework, a vertical shat rotatably mounted therein, a stud projecting laterally from said shaft, a notched or serrated wheel carried by said stud and having gear teeth thereon, a gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft, and means for rotating said gear in unison with the operation 01" said machine.

8. The combination with a punch, press, shear or like machine of a suitable framework, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted therein, a stud projecting laterally from said shaft, a notched or serrated wheel carried by said stud and having gear teeth thereon, a gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft, and means for rotating said gear continuously in unison with the operation oi said machine.

9. The combination with. a punch, press, shear or like machine of a supporting frame, a vertical shait therein, a stud projecting laterally from said shalt, a notched or serrated wheel carried by said stud and having a bevel gear thereon, a gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft and in mesh with said bevel gear, means for rotating said gear continuously in unison with said machine, and means for raising and lowering said shaft and wheel into and out of contact with the plate to be moved.

10. The combination with a punch, )ress, shear or like machine of a supporting frame, a vertical shaft therein. a stud projecting laterally from said shait, a notched or serrated plate actuating wheel freely revoluble on said stud and having a bevel gear thereon, a gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft, means for rotating said gear continuously in unison with the operation of said machine, means for axially positioning said vertical shaft, and means for raising and lowering said vertical shaft and plate actuating wheel.

11. In a device of the character stated, a

punch, press, shear or like machine, a supporting frame, a vertical shaft having its bearing in said frame, a double bevel gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft, a shaft driven from the driving mechanism of said machine, a bevel gear on said shaft and in mesh with the lower portion of said double bevel gear, a shaft projecting laterally from the top of said vertical shaft, a plate actuating wheel loosely mounted on said'lateral shaft, and a bevel gear on the side of said wheel and in mesh with the upper portion of said double bevel gear.

12. In a device of the character stated, a punch, press, shear or like machine, a cup porting frame, a vertical shaft having its bearing in said frame, a double bevel gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft, a flexible shaft actuated in unison with the driving mechanism of said machine,a bevel gear on said flexible shaft and in mesh with the lower portion of said double bevel gear, a shaft projectinglateral y from the top of said vertical shaft, a plate actuating wheel loosely mounted on said lateral shaft, a

bevel gear on the side of said wheel and in mesh with the upper portion of said'double bevel gear, and means for raising and lowering said vertical shaft and wheel.

13. In a device of the character stated, a punch, press, shear or like machine, a supporting frame, a vertical shaft having its bearing in said frame, a double bevel gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft, a flexible shaft actuated in unison with the driving mechanism of said machine, a bevel gear on said flexible shaft and in mesh with the upper portion of said double bevel gear, and means for axially moving said vertical shaft and its adjuncts.

14. In a device of the character stated, a punch, press, shear or like machine, a supporting frame, a vertical shaft having its bearing in said frame, a double bevel gear loosely mounted on said vertical shaft, a flexible shaft actuated in unison with the drivingmechanism of said machine, a bevel gear on said flexible shaft and in mesh with the lower portion of said double bevel gear, a shaft projecting laterally from the top of said vertical shaft, a plate actuating wheel loosely mounted on said lateral shaft, a bevel gear on the side of said wheel and in mesh with the upper portion of said double bevel gear, means for raising and lowering ,said vertical shaft and its adjuncts, and

means for axially rotating said vertical shaft and wheel.

15. In a device of the character stated, a

punch, press, shear or like machine, a sin- 'gle serrated rotary wheel for 1ogghng a metal plate by its frictional contact with the bottom thereof, and mechanism for con tar serrated wheel for 'o linp a metal P I 0 plate byits frictional contact wlth the bot.-

tom' thereof, manually controlled devices In a device of the character stated, a Y punch, press, shear or like machine, a ro-' for axially positioning said. rotary wheel, a

handle'on said devices, tLIlQlHlGELIlS for driving said rotary wheel in unison with the driving mechanism of the machine to which it is applied.

17. The combination of a punch, press, or shear, with a rotary plate actuating wheel located in proximity thereto, and adapted to contact at will with the under surface of the plate, means for actuating said wheel, said means being mechanically connected to the driving mechanism of said punch, press or shear, manually operated means for raising and lowering said wheel,

and manually operated means for changing the plane of rotation of. said wheel.

18. Th6 combination of a punch, press, shear or like machine with a rotary plate joggling wheel, located in proximity thereto and adapted to contact at will with the under surface of the plate to be joggled, wheel rotating means mechanically connected to the driving mechanism' of said machine, a handle pivotally supported, means intermediate said handle and said plate oggling wheel for changing the plane of rotation of said wheel, and means also carried by saidhandle for raising and lowering said wheel.

,HERBEBT RUFF.

l Vitnesses RAYMoND ll. MoYnR, LEON S. Boonwoon. 

